﻿EARLY 
  STAGES 
  OF 
  WEST 
  AFRICAN 
  MOSQUITOS. 
  

  

  65 
  

  

  Cutex 
  ager, 
  Giles, 
  var. 
  ethiopicus, 
  Edw. 
  

  

  Larva. 
  — 
  The 
  larva 
  of 
  this 
  mosquito 
  has 
  been 
  figured 
  by 
  Edwards 
  (loc. 
  cit. 
  , 
  p. 
  380) 
  

   and 
  has 
  been 
  included 
  by 
  him 
  in 
  his 
  " 
  Revised 
  Keys 
  to 
  the 
  Known 
  Larvae 
  of 
  

   African 
  Culicinae. 
  " 
  One 
  feature, 
  however, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  referred 
  to 
  by 
  him 
  and 
  which 
  

   is 
  not 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  figures, 
  may 
  be 
  mentioned 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  unusual, 
  that 
  is, 
  the 
  shape 
  

   of 
  the 
  mental 
  plate. 
  In 
  the 
  larva 
  of 
  C. 
  ager 
  var. 
  ethiopicus 
  this 
  structure 
  is 
  shaped 
  

   like 
  an 
  equilateral 
  triangle, 
  and 
  its 
  margin 
  when 
  viewed 
  at 
  a 
  moderate 
  magnification 
  

   (1/6 
  objective 
  and 
  No. 
  3 
  ocular) 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  crenated 
  but 
  devoid 
  of 
  teeth 
  (fig. 
  5, 
  a) 
  ; 
  

   when 
  examined 
  with 
  higher 
  powers, 
  however, 
  the 
  crenated 
  margin 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  

   composed 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  (about 
  60) 
  of 
  minute 
  teeth, 
  which 
  increase 
  in 
  size 
  slightly 
  

   as 
  they 
  recede 
  from 
  the 
  apex. 
  

  

  Pig. 
  5. 
  

  

  Pupa 
  of 
  Culex 
  ager 
  var. 
  ethiopicus, 
  Edw. 
  ; 
  a, 
  mental 
  plate 
  of 
  larva. 
  

  

  Pupa 
  (fig. 
  5). 
  — 
  The 
  pupa 
  is 
  large, 
  measuring 
  about 
  6 
  mm. 
  when 
  extended, 
  and 
  

   well 
  chitinised, 
  the 
  sockets 
  of 
  the 
  hairs, 
  even 
  minute 
  ones, 
  being 
  marked 
  by 
  a 
  thick- 
  

   ened 
  darkened 
  ring. 
  The 
  paddles 
  are 
  infuscated. 
  The 
  trumpets 
  have 
  wide 
  apertures, 
  

   which 
  are 
  directed 
  anteriorly 
  in 
  the 
  living 
  pupa. 
  

  

  The 
  paddles, 
  which 
  are 
  nearly 
  1 
  mm. 
  long, 
  are 
  broad, 
  the 
  ratio 
  of 
  length 
  to 
  greatest 
  

   breadth 
  being 
  about 
  11 
  to 
  1 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  supported 
  by 
  an 
  external 
  buttress 
  and 
  a 
  well 
  

   developed 
  midrib. 
  Near 
  the 
  distal 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  midrib 
  are 
  two 
  minute 
  hairs, 
  the 
  one 
  

   considerably 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  other 
  ; 
  the 
  larger 
  hair 
  is 
  sometimes 
  divided 
  towards 
  its 
  

   tip. 
  The 
  paddle 
  is 
  infuscated 
  at 
  its 
  distal 
  end 
  and 
  over 
  almost 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  

   inner 
  lobe, 
  and 
  has 
  no 
  fringe. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  posterior 
  angle 
  of 
  the 
  8th 
  abdominal 
  segment 
  is 
  a 
  tuft 
  of 
  5 
  to 
  7 
  subplumose 
  

   hairs, 
  which 
  are 
  usually 
  branched. 
  This 
  tuft 
  is 
  about 
  one-quarter 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  

   paddle. 
  

   (C572) 
  E 
  

  

  